One of the most insightful and engaging things I have gotten to take part in during my time at UGA were the conversations with telenovela writers, actors, and distributors for my Telenovelas, Culture and Society course. I found these experiences impactful because we got to see the many faces of a telenovela. The entire semester we have learned about how multifaceted the creation of a telenovela is from creation to writing to production all the way to distribution. These conversations allowed for a better glimpse of just how meticulous this process is. While talking to these guests I found myself feeling inspired by how passionately they all spoke of their experiences and careers. I have noticed this quality in our professor Dr. A from the very beginning of the semester as well. This passion is what attracts the hearts and attention of audiences worldwide to telenovelas.
Although I enjoyed each and every conversation we took part in, my favorite interactions were with our two guests in Turkey. Mikaela Perez, sales manager for the Turkish production company Kanal D, had an infectious energy and many insightful points to share with us. She is in charge of the distribution of Turkish dizisis to Latin American countries. During the conversation she explained her mindset and the process behind her job. She highlighted that it is important to create and disperse content that can travel well and touch the hearts of audiences everywhere. For Mikaela there is a very important balance between localization and globalization and a merging of different cultures that is essential to success.
My other favorite conversation was with Turkish actress Ilkin Tüfekci. One of Ilkin’s most popular television roles is in Kara Para Ask. In this series she plays a police officer named Pelin. This discussion fostered the same type of energy and passion that Mikaela gave us. It was clear that Ilkin feels a deep emotional connection to acting. I thought it was quite vulnerable when she expressed the difficulties of being an actress, but how the love for her work is what empowers her to keep going. During this discussion I got to ask Ilkin about her process of deciding to take a particular role. She replied quite simply. Ilkin believes that if a role comes to her then it is meant for her. This stuck out to me as a beautiful mindset to have not only in a career, but life in general. This mindset really expressed Ilkin's confidence. Another portion of the discussion highlighted her confidence as an actress. When asked how many times she has to record a particular scene she quickly replied "once". This is unusual for an onscreen actor, but Ilkin is not just any old actor. She has a humble confidence about her and it was evident in the way she spoke.
Something I noticed in Ilkin, as well as with other guests like Leonardo Padrón, is how diverse her skillset is. She not only works in television but in the theater as well. In the same respect Leonardo not only writes telenovelas, but books and poems as well. It is evidently clear how creative, energetic, and dedicated all these guests are. It is qualities like this that help aid in the success of telenovelas. These faces of telenovelas are what inspire audiences around the world.
Katie a could not agree more with you. Meeting Ilkin was truly an eye opening experience. She really reminded me of a professional athlete. While they are extremely good at their particular job, she is very well rounded. Most athletes are not just good at their sport, but are just athletic in general and can play at a high level at all sports. Ilkin was the same way as while she is a very successful actor, but also in theater as well. It truly shows that being good at one particular thing can prove to benefit you later on in life, but diversifying our skillset is where you really start to put yourself apart from the crowd. All guest brought their own unique perspective that truly gave me insight on the Telenovela industry. I loved Ilkin but really connected with everyone we spoke with.
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